The Queen of England, now 93 years old, is the longest-reigning British monarch in history. She’s been on the throne for 67 years, since February 6, 1952. There are very few people alive who can vividly remember another monarch on the throne.
Queen Elizabeth’s death may not be something we look forward to, but there are certainly already plans in place for when it happens. Read on to find out what royal protocol is.
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What Happens When The Queen Dies?
Operation London Bridge is the plan to be set into motion once the Queen passes. It will be the task of the Queen’s Private Secretary to convey the sad news through the code “London Bridge is down” or “London Bridge has fallen”. The first person to be informed will be the Prime Minister, then the governments of the Commonwealth realms (which Australia is part of).
Once key government officials have been informed, the public will be informed in a number of ways. A footman will post a black-edged notice on Buckingham Palace’s gates and the announcement will also be posted on the Royal Family’s official website.
In the UK, all BBC channels are planned to be interrupted to broadcast the story, which has been rehearsed and prepared for years. There’s even dark clothing on-hand for anchors to change into just in case they had to make the announcement.
A Funeral Fit For A Queen
The national period of mourning for the Queen’s death will last for 12 days. Sporting events, theatre shows, even the stock market will be closed to pay respects.
The Queen will be interred first at Buckingham Palace, then at Westminster Hall, beginning on the fourth day after her death. It will stay in Westminster for four more days, during which people may come to mourn and pay their respects. Thousands of people are expected to come, even more than the 200,000 who had come to pay respects to the Queen Mother when she passed in 2002.
While it isn’t confirmed yet, the Queen will probably be put to rest where her parents had been buried: in St. George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle.
From God Save The Queen To God Save The King
The heir apparent at the moment is Queen Elizabeth’s eldest son, Prince Charles. At 11 am the day after the Queen’s passing, he will be proclaimed king at the Accession Council. However, the actual coronation ceremony will have to wait until after the funeral. Even Queen Elizabeth herself had to wait a while before her official coronation – she became Queen in 1952, but her coronation was in 1953.
Upon ascending to the throne, Prince Charles can choose to be known as King Charles III, or he can go with his other names. Perhaps he’d rather be King George VII, King Philip, or even King Arthur! His eldest son, Prince William, will now be heir apparent, and he may also be declared Prince of Wales.
There will also be other significant changes: the national anthem of the United Kingdom will go from God Save the Queen to God Save the King. The British pound, the currency of the UK, will also start printing new money that will now feature the new king instead of the Queen.
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